What Color Are the Insturment Panel Lights ?

[w30bob]

Howdy Boys,

Are there any girls on this forum??? Sorry, lost track of my thoughts there for a second. Instrument panel lighting......is it white or red? Reason I ask is I've seen the bulb housing lenses come with both clear lenses and red lenses. I was thinking the red lenses were for the M38 Jeeps, but I'm just pullin' that out of my butt. I read Tuko's post about the high beam indicator in the general section and it reminded me I wanted to ask this question. So what color were the instrument panel light lenses......red or clear? Did it change during production from one to the other? If so does anyone know when?

thanks.......and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

regards,
bob

[52 M-42]

I've seen other colors, but the only stock / production ones I've ever seen are all red. Blue and green look kind of cool, but red is stock.

52 M-42

[m-37Bruce]

Mine are red, I think the red is supposed to ease eye fatigue?

[w30bob]

Thanks guys....red it is. Makes sense too because human eyes are less sensitive to red light than other colors, especially white. So red light would have the least effect on someone driving an M at night. That's why astronomers use red flashlights at night and aircraft cockpit illumination is usually red. I knew that piece of useless knowledge would come in handy one day.

Have a good night,
bob

[m37jarhead]

My Dad was an X-ray tech in WW II and later an X-ray tech at the V.A. hospital until he retired. He once took me
to his work and showed me the "dark room" where they developed the x-ray films. Everything was lighted
with red lights inside. At the time, he said the red light would not affect the development of the x-ray
film; white light would. And, the red light would make it easier on the eyes to go from daylight to the
red light in the dark room. (?)
BTW.... the dash lights are red in my M37. Red does seem easier on the eyes at night when driving the M.
JB

[PoW]

Red does seem easier on the eyes at night when driving the M.
JB

Reason being red light leaves less 'visual persistance' or afterimages in the brain than exposure to other colors.

PoW

[m-37Bruce]

Red does seem easier on the eyes at night when driving the M.
JB

Reason being red light leaves less 'visual persistance' or afterimages in the brain than exposure to other colors.

PoW

Hey PoW, Where have you been, been a while for you & posting, welcome home!

[pwrwagonfire]

The instrument panel lighting on my 1952 M-37 is red

[DJ]

I thought red was so you could see the gauges ,but the bad guys couldn't see the lights from the gauges.